Pry bar



Aug. 14, 1962 v. GRIGGS v 3,049,337

PRY BAR Filed Feb. 29, 1960 INVENTOR.

2g Virgil Cirigge.

BY 20 I5 .+1 mm,../.4/ WM/m 24 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,049,337 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 3,049,337PRY BAR Virgil Griggs, 6201 N. Topping, Kansas City, Mo. Filed Feb. 29,1960, Ser. No. 11,772 2 Claims. (Cl. 254-131) This invention relates toa prying or ripping bar for separating articles which are nailed orotherwise fastened together.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pry bar havingspecially constructed laterally spaced side elements which may bepositioned to straddle one edge of a stud with the side elementsextending in contact with the under surface of a board being removedfrom the stud so that by arcuate movement of the bar handle, the boardwill be pried free from the studding with ease and with a minimum ofcracking or splitting of the board being removed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pry bar whichmay be inserted between interlocking flooring boards and subflooring forprying them apart with a minimum of tongue breakage and with a maximumof salvageability.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pry bar withprying elements formed of thick plate material loaded transverse to thefaces thereof whereby extremely high strength and rigidity is exhibited.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pry bar havinga load contacting edge which varies along the length thereof from a flatto a concave and subsequently to a fiat contour to produce a gentletwisting of the flooring boards for separating tongue in grooveinterlocking members without damage thereto, and to provide a selectivemechanical advantage.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pry bar resting upon subflooring andin position for prying flooring boards therefrom.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pry bar of this in ventionstraddling a stud and in position for prying boards therefrom.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view of the pry bar taken alongthe line 3-3, FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the pry bar.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the pry bar of this inventioncomprises a handle 1 which is rigidly connected as by means of weldingto a transverse connector or cross member 2 preferably cylindrical inshape. The connector member or bar 2 has a length which is somewhatgreater than the width of studding 5 on which the pry bar is adaptedtobe used. Side elements 6 and 7 are rigidly attached, for example bywelding, in laterally spaced relation at opposite ends of the connectormember 2 with said side elements in parallel relation to each other. Theside elements 6 and 7 substantially correspond in shape and preferablyare of generally triangular shape and attached to the ends of theconnector member 2 in aligned relationship whereby the bottom edges 9and 10 respectively of said side elements are in a common plane andpreferably spaced from the connector member. The handle 1 preferably isarranged at an angle of about with respect to the plane of the edges 9and 10, however, other angles may be used to provide comfort and easefor the particular workman to apply force to said handle and manipulatethe structure.

The side elements 6 and 7 are formed of thick plate material such ascold rolled steel plate and have sub stantially greater face areas 11and 12 than edge areas. The face areas 11 and 12 preferably aregenerally right triangular in shape with the ends of the connectormember 2 attached thereto substantially adjacent to the right angles 13and 14. The upper hypotenuse edges 15 and 16 of the right trianglespreferably are approximately twice as long as the shortest edges 17 and18 which are at right angles with respect to bottom edges 9 and 10. Theside elements 6 and 7 each have portions removed to form receivers inthe upper portion whereby the edges 15 and 16 are generally interruptedby arcuate concave sections 20 and 21 extending longitudinally andpositioned approximately midway the ends thereof, the concave sections20 and 21 of the upper edges preferably are approximately one-half thelength thereof. The concave sections 20 and 21 alter the profiles of theedges 15 and 16 so that as the handle 1 is approached from the pointedends 22 and 23 of the pry bar the edges v15 and 16 first describestraight sections 24 and 25, then concave sections 20 and 21 and thenstraight sections 26 and 27 before they terminate adjacent the shortestedges 17 and 18 of the side elements.

In operation, the pry bar provides a convenient means for separatingboth interlocking floor board-s from subfloors and for prying boardsfrom studding and the like.

FIG. 1 illustrates the pry bar separating flooring boards 30 fromsubflooring 31. The flooring boards 30 .on one longitudinal side edgethereof each has a tongue 32 and a groove 33 on the oppositelongitudinal side edge thereof whereby when laid in a floor the tongueof one board engages in and mates with a groove of an adjacent board. Inprying loose flooring boards by conventional means, the tongues andgrooves are, commonly damaged due to application of shear forces whilethe tongue and groove are interlocked. With the pry bar of thisinvention, however, as. the flooring boards 30 are raised from thesubfioor 31, the boards 30 are twisted about their longitudinal axis,the tongue and groove engagement is gradually worked loose and separatedby the forces produced first by engagement with the straight sections 24and 25 and subsequently by the concave sections 20 and 21 and then bythe straight sections 26 and 27. It can thus be seen that by insertingthe points 22 and 23 between a subflooring 31 and the flooring boards p30 and arcuately rotating the handle 1 while pushing the pry barforwardly and with the points 34 at triangles 13 and 14 and then thepoints 22 and 23 serving as fulcrums, the flooring boards 30- are gentlylifted and twisted alternately clockwise and counterclockwise abouttheir axis to urge the tongue and groove apart without damage theretowhile removing the boards 30 from the subflooring 31.

For removing a board 35 which has been attached to a stud 5 as shown inFIG. 2, the side elements 6 and 7 are placed in straddling position onthe edge of stud 5 and the points 22 and 23 are urged underneath theboard 35. Because of the space afforded by the concave sections 20 and21. the side elements 6 and 7 may be pushed a substantial distancebeneath the board 35 in order that the connector member 2 may engage thestud 5 and serve as a fulcrum close to the board 35. Another advantageof the concave sections 20 and 21 is that upward pressure may be appliedin selective areas on the underside of board 35 (FIG. 2) to loosen theboard without tending to cause longitudinal cracking. When the handle 1is pushed toward the stud 5, the connector member 2 acts as a fulcrumwith a lever arm terminating only a short distance away and anotherlever arm (handle 1) terminating a considerable distance away, thusproducing a very large mechanical advantage. After the large initialforces have started to move the board 35 away 3 from the studding 5, thesections 24 and 25 may be brought into contact with the board 35 forquick removal of the board.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that due to the particularconfiguration shown and described herein, I have disclosed a pry bar forprying loose flooring from subfiooring and boards from studding which isadapted for ease of use while providing salvageability which washitherto unknown.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described oneform of my invention it is not to be limited to the specific form orarrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pry bar for prying boards from a flat surface comprising, a pair oflaterally spaced plate members, said plate members being located insubstantially parallel relation, a cross bar rigidly connected to andbetween said plate members for maintaining said plate members in saidspaced and parallel relation, an elongated handle fixed to said crossbar and extending transversely therefrom in a direction substantiallyparallel to said plate members, each of said plate members having anupper edge and a lower edge respectively terminating in a forwardlyextending point, said points aiming in the same direction and beingsubstantially equally spaced from said cross bar, said upper edgesforming prying surfaces, said lower edges forming resting surfaces forresting on the flat surface, each of said upper edges having a similarmutually aligned compound contour including a longitudinally straightportion adjacent a respective point and a longitudinally concave portionlocated rearwardly of said straight portion and blending thereintowhereby boards pried by said bar are first twisted upwardly from theflat surface in one direction as they contact said straight portions andthen are twisted in the opposite direction as they contact said concaveportions.

2. The pry bar of claim 1 wherein said compound contour includes twolongitudinally straight portions and said concave portion is locatedtherebetween, said concave portion extending approximately one-half thelength of the respective upper edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS195,412 Spurr Sept. 18, 1877 841,050 Robert Jan. 8, 1907 935,727Anderson Oct. 5, 1909 1,309,734 Hemfling July 15, 1919 2,374,530 FiebkeApr. 24, 1945 2,769,236 Phillips et al. Nov. 6, 1956

